I inherited a plant that was consistently missing production targets by 15 to 20 percent. My first step was spending two weeks on the floor, observing every shift and talking to operators. I identified three root causes: outdated maintenance schedules causing frequent breakdowns, a scheduling system that didn't account for changeover times, and low team morale. I implemented a TPM program, redesigned the scheduling algorithm, and started weekly town halls. Within 6 months, we were hitting targets consistently.
Strengths
- Spending two weeks on the floor shows servant leadership and a data-driven diagnostic approach — interviewers love this.
- Identifying three distinct root causes demonstrates analytical rigor and systems thinking.
- The 6-month turnaround timeline with consistent target achievement is a strong, credible result.
Improve
- Add financial scale — plant revenue, cost savings, CAPEX invested in the turnaround.
- Quantify the KPI improvements: OEE from X% to Y%, unplanned downtime reduction, scrap rate change.
- Mention team size and how you handled resistance to change — critical for VP-level credibility.
At my previous role as Plant Director of a €250M automotive components facility with 650 employees, I inherited an operation that was 18% below production targets, had an OEE of just 62%, and was bleeding €3M annually in unplanned downtime. My first action was a 2-week diagnostic where I worked every shift rotation — day, evening, and night — conducting gemba walks and structured interviews with 40+ operators, supervisors, and maintenance technicians. I identified three systemic issues: reactive maintenance culture with zero predictive capability, a scheduling system from 2008 that didn't account for changeover optimization, and critically low morale with engagement scores at 48%. I implemented a phased turnaround: Phase 1 (months 1-3) focused on TPM implementation with predictive maintenance using IoT vibration sensors on 120 critical machines, reducing unplanned downtime by 42%. Phase 2 (months 3-6) deployed an AI-based scheduling system that optimized changeover sequences, improving throughput by 15%. Phase 3 (months 4-8) addressed culture through weekly town halls, a skills-based pay progression system, and cross-training program. Results at 12 months: OEE improved from 62% to 89%, we eliminated the production gap entirely, saved €12M in annual operating costs, achieved 18 consecutive months of zero lost-time incidents, and employee engagement rose from 48% to 84%.